Gov't to move faster on medical cannabis industry - Shaw
Published:Monday | June 25, 2018 | 10:55 AM
Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Audley Shaw says he will be moving to ensure that Jamaica is not left behind in the growing global medical cannabis industry.
Shaw noted that while Jamaica has only decriminalised the use of up to two ounces of marijuana and issued a few licences for production and processing, the product is now legal in Canada, and 31 states in the United States have been producing and using it for medicinal and recreational purposes.
He said the country needs to move quickly to take advantage of opportunities in the growing of cannabis and manufacture of products.
He informed that he is working with the Ministry of Health and the Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA) “to move faster and more aggressively to get up to the level of world competition”.
“Time is not on our side,” he added.
Shaw was addressing an Agricultural Technology Symposium under the theme ‘Sustained Growth in the Agriculture Sector with Science and Technology Engineering’ held at Isratech Jamaica Limited Group of Companies in Kendal, Manchester, on June 21.
The event involved collaboration with the Ministry and the Jamaica Institute of Engineers.
It provided information on climate-smart practices and innovations as part of measures to build resilience in the agriculture sector.
Minister Shaw told the participants, which included farmers, that agriculture is a key sector in enabling Jamaica to achieve sustained, high levels of economic growth.
We want to hear from you! Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-449-0169, email us at editors@gleanerjm.com or onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com.